Why I deserve a long arm machine!!!

I have always felt the need to convince, myself more often than anyone else, the need to justify my desires!!! When I needed to shift rooms for my studio, I spent a lot of time telling myself how the room had little light and how the area was not enough for me and a few friends to sew together!!!

Since quite some time, I have been seriously considering buying a long arm machine... And ever since I have come to know that this one is available in India, I have thought about it a lot more than I should have...

Then after the marathon sewing and arty session, I decided to justify myself that now I have acquired enough skill to desire a long arm machine!!!

Rewind to a few months back when I made this quilt top...

I had big plans for this one!! It included writing and selling a pattern... Yay!!!

But then I did this...

"What?", you're asking me??? Well I started quilting it with the most awesomely brilliant idea I had ever had!!! Each block was made of 12 improv-curved pieced strips, so I decided to quilt EACH STRIP with a different design!!!!

After doing 2 blocks in 2 days, I picked the quilt up and kept it away, for a while.

Every time  I saw it, I would remind myself that it is going to take a lifetime to finish!!!

But after completing 2 quilts in a week, I decided I want to tackle this one before I started anything new... My initial idea was that I'd quilt the bottom 3 and 3 more (randomly) blocks in this manner and then do a stippling on the rest...

I timed myself and was amazed that it took me about 30 minutes to quilt one block!!!

So I kept repeating "If it takes 30 minutes to finish one block, 10 blocks aren't going to take a lifetime!!!" and started quilting...

I was done in 2 days!!! Yay!!!

Now came the daunting task of selecting a fabric for the binding! NOTHING from my stash satisfied me! I actually pulled out ALL of my neatly arranged shelves (Didn't I tell you I cleaned my studio?) and auditioned EVERY fabric that I had... But nothing appealed!

Today, I posted on the Facebook Group that I wanted suggestions for the binding and I must say the girls just swept me off my feet!!! It was one of their suggestions that I do the no-binding binding!!!

Hop on here to see the super-easy awesome looking binding tutorial!!!

And I finished the quilt today!!!

Here's the quilt in all its glory!!!

And here's the binding from the back!!! 

I'm just so happy about the quilting!!! Yay!!!

Do you like the quilt???

Here are all the blocks one by one - Block # 1

Block # 2

Block #  3

Block #  4

Block #  5

Block #  6

Block #  7

Block #  8

Block #  9

Block #  10

Block #  11

Block #  12

I love that since it does not have sashing or borders - even the binding is not seen!!! It just goes with the theme!!!

Quilt Stats :
Name : Leherey - the waves...
Size : 48" x 64" (Lap Quilt)
Fabric Used : Kona Cotton (Poseidon Fat Quarter Bundle)
Assorted Indian Prints for the back
Thread : Aurifil #2805, 4140, 4655, 4633 and 3770
Bobbin (5005 & 1128)
All 40 wt.

Lesson learnt : No quilt can rake a lifetime to finish! Just deal with it and check it off your list!!!

Now if I can do all that gorgeous quilting on my 330, dont I deserve to get a long arm machine???

What have you finished recently???